Signal-control train stop



Oct. 7, 1924. 1510506 [1.E5hdffk1' SIGNAL CONTROL TRAIN STOP Filed Nov.21, 1922 :s Sheets-Sheet 1 Z 'yi.

ATTORAunA BY awv lzzqeicllcl.*jivv7vt.-

Oct. 7 1924. 1,510,506

C. D. SMITH SIGNAL CONTROL TRAIN STOP 7 Filed Nov. 21, 192.2 .3Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

H CfiARLES 1). SMITH.

A TTORNE Y.

4. 1,510,506 192 c. D. SMITH 51mm common mam STOP Filed Nov. 21, 1922 .3Sheets- Sheet INVENTOR. Ci/A RLEsD. 5m 1-.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 7, 1924.

UNITED CHARLES 1). SMITH, or NEW YoRK, n. Y.

SIGNAL-CONTROL TRAIN STOP.

" Application filed November 21,1922 Serial No. 602,394.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSignal-Control Train Stops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to safety devices 'for rolling stock and moreparticularly to a novel and improved mechanism for automatically shortcircuiting a control switch or generator and applying the brakes to thecar if the same passes a predetermined point.

Various devices have been made and installed on electric and steamrailway cars to prevent collision and to more effectively maintain theblock signal system wherein the car ortrain is rendered inoperative ifit leaves the block before the signal is given to do so but manyaccidents occur on account of the signals sometimes not being seen bythe operator or the wrong signal indicated. 1 The object of myinventiontherefore'isto avoid collisions due to the above inefliciency of theblock signal system by energizing a contact rail positioned at apredetermined point in a block whereby should the car be driven beyondthis point and into the next block, the motor will be immediatelyrendered inoperative and the compressed air brakes automaticallyapplied,so as to stop the car. 7 v

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of a device of theabove character wherein a contact rail may be energized .from' a signalpoint including a contact shoeito be carried by the car for controllinganautomatic cut off connected to the motor or operators switch andsimultaneously actuating a release valve in the compressed air brakesystem so that the car may be stopped if the same passes whatmaybetermed the danger point far within an occupied block in the block signalsys tern.

Another object of. my invention is the provision of an automatic deviceof this I character which can be easily modified for installation on asteam train whereby the power can be automatically cut off and the'-pneumatic-brakesapplied in the same manner to stop the train shouldthe same pass a predetermined point in the block signal; system.

' vention.

I accomplish the above objects and others which will become moreapparent as the description proceeds and when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, constituting a preferred embodiment of myinvention and wherein: I

Figure l is a view showing the invention installed on a. railway carincluding the contact rail which completes the circuit to actuate themechanism. I

Figure2 is a front view of the mechanism in connection with the valve toi apply the brakes. i

Figure 3 is a side view of the operating mechanism, the casing'and panelbeing shown Figure 7 is a modified form of the in- Referring now to thedrawings wherein like reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the. several views, in Figure 1, I have shown a conventionaltype of electric railway car having a front compartment for the operatorand in which'there is shown the control lever 5 r and the leads orconductors to an electrified third rail 6. A pipe or conduit 7 is alsoshown to indicate a portion of the pneumatic air brake system, it beingobserved that the'conductors above referred to and the pipe '7 extend tomy automatic trip mechanism designated in its entirety by numeral 8suitably mounted and accessible to the operator and constructed andarranged in the mannernow to the described in detail.

At certain points in the block signal system, a contact rail 9 ispositioned which can be energized through a switch 10 at a point locatedin a signal tower, for instance,

any position from a signal station, the said contact rail'being herei-nreferred to as the danger point in the line, beyond which the car ortrain should not proceed unless the track ahead is clear and open. Acontact shoe 12 carried by-the car or train which is in contact with therail 9 will of course be. energized when the switch 10 is closed and theconductor 13 connected to the contact (not shown) and the conductors 11from shoe 12 will consequently also be energized tooperate the tripmechanism now to be described. The conductor 13 leads to the tripmechanism 8 and a return conductor is grounded to the frame of the car.

The trip mechanism consists of an insulated plate 15 secured by screwsor other fastening elements 16 to the wall of the car and preferablyaccessible to the operator. A. second plate 17 preferably of metal isalso secured by screws 18 and the screws 16, the last mentioned platebeing formed with bearings 19, 20, disposed in spaced relation andparallel with each other, the bearing 19 having attached thereto, asupporting bracket 21, for supporting the magnetic coils 23, 26 and thebearing 20 pivotally supporting the armature 2 The conductor 13 leads toa binding post 23 of one coil and the return conductor which is groundedto the frame, is connected to a binding post of. the second coil. Aspring controlled actuating rod 26 extending through the brackets 19,20, is provided with an enlarged extension 27 at the lower end thereofwhich extension is provided with a curved cam slot 28 to receive thehead 29 of a rotatable valve 30 operablein the valve casing 31 wherebythe compressed air may be released through the conduits 32 and thebrakes applied. Mounted on the actuating rod 26 and between thebrackets, I have provided a coil. spring 33 which normally maintains thesaid actuating rod downwardly when it is in the locked position at whichinstance, the valve 30 is closed. In order to release the actuating rod,so that it will move upwardly and open the valve 30, the locking pin 34which engages the notch 36 in the actuating rod must be released. Inorder to effect this operation, the armature 22 is adapted to trip thearm or extension 34 disposed at right angles to the pin 84. The said arm34 is adapted to lie within a notch or slot of a small barrel 36*.Within the barrel and connected to the pin 34, I provide a compressionspring 37 which is adapted to release the pin 34 when the said arm. 34is released from the notch above referred to. it will thus be seen thatwhen this tripping actiontakes place, the actuating rod moves upwardly,

I thus operating the valve 30.

The conductors 40, 41, leading to the motor or the control lever of theoperator, are connected to the binding posts 42, of the spring contacts43 secured to the insulated plate 44. The upper end of the actuating rod26 carries a head preferably of fibre or insulation being securedthereto by a screw 46 or other fastening element. The fibrehead carriesa contact plate 47 which completes the circuit between the spring con.-tacts when the actuating rod is in its uppermost or normal position asclearly shown by Figure 2 of the drawing.

It will thus be seen that the device is au tomatic and efi'ective whenthe circuit is completed to open the valve to apply pneumatic pressureto the brakes and at the same time open the circuit of conductors 41leading to the motor and control lever whereby power is cut off. Inorder to conceal the operative mechanism, 1 have provided a casing 50having a hinged cover or closure 51 and a catch 52 for locking saidcover and when it is desired to set the mechanism in its operativeposition, by raising the said cover 51, the operator may press down onthe head 45 until the pin 34 is engaged in the notch or recess 36, inwhich position of course, the contact arm 22 is disengaged from thepoles of the magnetic coils.

While 1 have shown the mechanism and one operative means of completingthe circuit through the contact rail 9, and a live rail, it will bereadily recognized that various mechanisms .may be resorted to toaccomplish the same purpose and it so desired the conductors 11 may beconnected up with the light signals or operated through a storagebattery by the signal operator or the device can be equally connected upwith the semaphore, used in the block signal. system. My invention,however, is more particularly directed to the trip mechanism shown morein detail in Figures 2 and 3 of'the drawings wherein the simultaneousaction of cutting off the power and applying the brakes is disclosed.

In a modified form of the invention as disclosed by Figure 7, with but aslight modi- 'fication the trip mechanism may be installed on a steamtrain so that the power may be cut oil should the train pass apredetermined point. in this form of the invention, the head. 45 and thespring contacts 43 are dispensed with and leading from the contact shoe12, I have provided a conductor 13 leading to the coils 23 and a secondconductor 24. being grounded. The same arrangement of the springcontrolled actuating rod 26 and the extension 27 is provided foroperating a valve 31 interposed in the steam pipe or line leading to thesteam chest and in this form of the invention also, when the circuit iscompleted in the manner as above indicated, the valve 31 will be openedand the pneumatic brakes applied, all of which operate in the samemanner as heretofore ex plained.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree ofparticularity, ll realize that in practice various alterations thereinmay be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing theform of the details of construction or otherwise altering thearrangement of the correlated parts "without departing from the" spiritof the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent is l. A safety device of theclass described comprising a support, bearings mounted on the support, aslidable element including a circuit breaker at one end and a valveactuating member at theopposite end, coils supported on the bearings, acontact arm cooperating with the coils, resilient means for maintainingthe slidable element in a set position and lying in the path of movementof the contact arm said slidable element being releasable tosimultaneously break the cir cuit and open the valve when the magnet'isenergized.

2. A safety device of the class described comprising a support, bearingsmounted on the support, a resiliently controlled rod having a circuitbreaker at its upper end and an enlarged extension. at the lower endthereof slidable in the bearings, said extension hav ing a cam slot-andconnected to a valve for actuating the same to a closed or to an openposition, magnets also mounted on the bearings, a pivoted contact armcooperating with the magnets, means for retaining the rod in a setposition, said last mentioned meansv lying in the path of movement ofthecontact arm whereby as the rod is released the circuit issimultaneously broken and the valve opened. a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OHARLESD. SMITH. Witnesses:

JOHN P. SoHMoHL, JOSEPH A. GORMAN.

